Preserving National History and Culture - Essay Example

How does Qasr Al Hosn Relate the People of Abu Dhabi? Introduction             Preserving national history and culture has never been easy in either developed or developing countries. A task requires a joint effort by both the government and the citizens of any country. United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been faced with that task. For over two and half centuries, Qasr Al Hosn (a historic building) has been preserved and restored in UAE (Maitra and Al Hajji 65). Qasr Al Hosninitially served as royal residence, administrative headquarter and the seat of power for the Al Nahyan rulers of Abu Dhabi. The building is synonymous with Abu Dhabi’s historical events, evolution of the society and transformation of economy. In attempt to preserve it, the building has undergone a number of structural changes, although it remains to show the original and indigenous architecture of the Emiratis, depicting how the past can live through the present.              Despite its long-standing history and rich past, research has been limited on the preservation trance of Qasr Al Hosn. Generally, Qars Al Hosn has not been accorded the level of research that it deserves, resulting in limited attention for the iconic building. It is however clear that historic buildings are vulnerable, and Qasr Al Hosn as well deserves extra care and preservation if it is to last longer than it has. Consequently, this study explores and suggests a blueprint for the preservation Qasr Al Hosn as cultural monument in UAE. The study probes and discusses how the future identity of Qasr Al Hosn should be preserved, and how it will feed into the next generations (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 4). Background of the study The Abu Dhabi’s story begins from the Qasr Al Hosn, a name that signifies its twin role: “Hosn” meaning fort, and “Qasra’ meaning castle. It is imperative to note Abu Dhabi was a region that was ruled by a tribe known as Bani Yas, who inhabited the oasis of Liwa. The Bani Yas tribe visited the island “Abu Dhabi’ for the purposes of collecting salt and fishing. The tribe did not inhabit the island because it lacked water. However, a wide area of drinking water was discovered in the island in 1760. Sheikh Dhiyab Al Nahyan later built a watchtower in the area to conserve the precious resource, when he discovered the significance of fresh water. This prompted influx of small settlement into the region. Later, the tower was expanded as the settlement in the region increased. It is significant to note the Sheikh Dhiyab Al Nahyan fortified the castle in the 18th century to protect from any form of invasion. This led to establishment of a town that was well protected with its inhabitants trading in spices, pearls and textile (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 5). It is significant to note that during the rule of Sheikh Zayed the Great, stability and peace reigned the Abu Dhabi with the castle becoming an administrative center. Sheikh Shkhbut Bin Sultan used the money from the first oil to construct a significant place in 1940, around the original fort. Later, when Sheikh Zayed ascended to the throne in 1966, he changed the role of the castle from that of a royal residence to a research center and a museum of the Gulf. This marked the Qasr Al Hosn to be today’s Abu Dhabi’s iconic landmark that symbolizes the city’s traditions, culture, and origins (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 6). The Qasr Al Hosn have been used for national processions in Abu Dhabu, for instance, the staging of magnificent celebrations to symbolize the journey of Al Nahyan family to Abu Dhabi from Liwa in the Western region in the 250th anniversary celebration. The celebrations are normally marked with display of traditions, culture, and origins of Abu Dhabi society. The Qasr Al Hosn is a significant symbol of heritage due to its architectural example that commands respect across cultures. The unique significance of Qasr Al Hosn is unrivalled given that it was the historical residence for generations. It is important to point out that the significance of the Qasr Al Hosn goes beyond it being Abu Dhabi’s first building; it is of immense national significance, cultural significance and religious significance. The Qasr Al Hosn also deserves preservation given that it attracts thousands of visitors from across the world during the 10-day Qasr Al Hosn Festival. This creates a significant opportunity for intensive learning of the site’s fascinating past. The exhibitions displayed in the Qasr Al Hosn reflect on the historical significance on the fort in the history of Abu Dhabi. It is also important to point out that the festival activities in the Qasr Al Hosn Festival involves storytelling, live demonstrations, historic images and footage, and performances that shows the rich historical significance of the Qasr Al Hosn (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 6). It is significant to point out that sea stones and coral stones covered with render from crushed seashells, lime and local sand that were used to construct the fort offered the region’s merchants a welcoming tool during their navigations. The historic significance of the Qasr Al Hosn called for its conservation. This was initiated five years ago aimed at removing the white render on the walls of the fort that were discovered to cause a corrosive moisture that could get  trapped on the original coral stone bricks. The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (ADTCA) did not reveal to the public the renovating process that was going on inside the building. The current renovation involves a team of architects, historians, and conservators. This team unearths the original sea stone masonry and the original coral reefs that were used in the construction of the Qasr Al Hosn. The cement render and the thick gypsum that were used in the construction of the walls of the Qasr Al Hosn in the 1980s were being carefully removed. The motive of removing the ancient thick white gympsum and cement render from the building was to ensure that the appreciation of the identity and heritage of the Emirati was strengthened, and enhance air conditioning in the structure (Maitra 56). The trapped moisture has a potentially harmful and corrosive effect on the historic fort’s fabric. The Qasr Al Hosn currently stands in Abu Dhabi as a centerpiece of the contemporary cultural quarter in the region, with visitors streaming into the Qasr Al Hosn to witness the scenic feature. The progress of the conservation work is itself a tourist attraction event during the annual Qasr Al Hosn Festival when visitors come to the site to witness its progress. Chairperson of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, indicated that the conservation of the historic fort is being conducted in accordance with international standards outlined in the management of World Heritage Assets (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 7). Literature Review Over the past few decades, research interests have been mounting Qasr Al Hosn and its importance to the culture and history of UAE. Majority of this research has been focused on annual Qasr Al Hosn festivities and events. It is however important to note that there is literature gap on the preservation of Qasr Al Hosn as a cultural monument in UAE. This study seeks to explore the extant literature on the preservation of Qasr Al Hosn as cultural and historical heritage in UAE. Origin and Design of Qasr Al Hosn Qasr Al Hosn is an ancient building in Abu Dhabi; a well-preserved cultural monument that provides an insight into the preservation of other cultural monuments. Qasr Al Hosn is thought to have been built between 1761 and 1793. Its interior yard was built using the architectural knowledge of the traditional Arab style, and it has an inner fort. It has two fortified round towers, which are located to the south-west, and northeast corners of the fort whereas the rectangular tower (Muraba) is at the north-west corner. The fort has two wings that were used for the purposes of accommodation; the south wing was meant for women, while the east wing doubled up as accommodation for men and as an administrative wing. The materials that were used in the construction of Qasr Al Hosn were coral stones and sea stones. The roof beams and the floor were made of the date palms and the mangrove poles. Although Qasr Al Hosn is artistically good-looking to the eye, it was designed purposefully as a defense headquarter and not just to be a decorative structure. The palace is dotted with equidistant and symmetrical slots, which are at varying heights. These allowed the guards to take the required positions to defend the palace whether they were kneeling, lying standing or even on their stomachs (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 7). Qasr Al Hosn is among the key historical landmarks in Abu Dhabi. It went through a number of renovations from 1976 to 1985 under the rule of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who used it as a center for management of government affairs. The Authority for culture and Heritage in Abu Dhabi initiated a plan in 2007 for expanding Qasr Al Hosn to maintain and preserve its structure since it is the most significant historical and cultural symbol of Abu Dhabi (Al-Awadhi para. 8). Qasr Al Hosn as a Symbolic Monument Qasr Al Hosn has an immense historic symbol for Abu Dhabi since its story is part of the reawakening of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirate. It conveys the story of a fort, which led to the popularity of Al Nahyan, a name that worked hard to overcome the challenges that confronted the people of Abu Dhabi. Today, Qasr Al Hosn has turned into a symbol of spiritual importance for Abu Dhabi. It reveals the political, cultural and historical growths of the Emirate. Qasr Al Hosn’s spiritual importance is because its old buildings have the same foundations as that of the Holy City, Mekkah. This made it to have a distinct spiritual significance in the Gulf Region. The historical significance of Qasr Al Hosn was deeply rooted in the hearts of the local people and it reflects the values of trust, confidence and power. Qasr Al Hosn cannot be detached from the abundant achievements that were made by the family of Nahyan (Al-Awadhi para. 9). Qasr Al Hosn was built to be a watchtower to safeguard the freshwater well of the island of Abu Dhabi. It is the oldest stone house in the United Arab Emirate and was the place where the founding president of UAE Sheikh Zayed had his court. Qasr Al Hosn is a spiritual and cultural symbol that tells the history of emirate. However, it got several other uses over time. It has been used for communication and cultural exchange, as home for Arabian horses and as a place of learning and knowledge. Locals also used to visit the Qasr Al Hosn to seek justice, bring the troubles that they had and make inquiries about their needs (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 9). Qasr Al Hosn had a small library in 1960s, which had a collection of approximately 50 articles and 100 books from journals on academics and other sources that were related to the sheikdoms of the coast of Oman and other parts of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula. Visitors of the palace were allowed to borrow books and journals during the period of their stay. Qasr Al Hosn was expanded in 1795 and became the residence to of Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab Al Nahyan, this expansion was continued other the years by the succeeding Rulers. Delegations from foreign nations used to visit the fort and meet the rulers of United Arab Emirate to discuss both local and international issues (Al-Awadhi para. 10). Preservation of Qasr Al Hosn monument has a number of social, political and historical importances. Due to its central political and social function, it attracts attention for key powers in the Middle East, and it has been an icon that has represented the prestige of United Arab Emirate among its neighbors. Qasr Al Hosn has a substantial role to play within the society in the United Arab Emirate, it helps to strengthen the values of the region and to come up with closer ties between people of the community hence its preservation is very important. Qasr Al Hosn also acts as a symbol that reveals the development of Abu Dhabi, and as a historical monument that symbolizes the growth of the capital city before and after oil was discovered (Al-Awadhi para. 11). When the business of pearling was profitable in the Gulf Region, Qasr Al Hosn became more important for the care and protection of the maritime trade. Since it was a solitary stone building in the heart of a settlement of palm huts, it was expanded and cannons were further added to its fortification. Nonetheless, the stage of economic stability was followed by hardship years during the period of World War 1, this hardship years coincided with a decrease in business in the pearling industry as a result of the invention of an artificial pearl fabricator by Japanese companies. The palace did not undergo any further expansion until 1958 when oil was discovered and explored (Maitra 65). Preservation of historical monuments entails maintaining the honor of a monument through restoration and protection using both new and old materials. The preservation of Qasr Al Hosn may involve various stages that may or may not embrace restoration, rehabilitation and reinforcement. There are a number of benefits for preserving historical monuments such as Qasr Al Hosn and keeping them as it were in the 18th century. One of the chief reasons as to why Qasr Al Hosn has to be preserved is because it brings a character to Abu Dhabi. Qasr Al Hosn brings a certain charm to Abu Dhabi that no other new building can bring (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 9). Qasr Al Hosn functions as a reminder of the ancient things. This is an important reason why its preservation is important. Getting to know the past such as the architecture of the Qasr Al Hosn will assist the people of Abu Dhabi to understand where they have come from and where they are headed. When the locals of Abu Dhabi understand what their community has gone through and have reminders of their past then they can be more connected to Abu Dhabi. Preservation of the past provides people with more hope and understanding for what is to come (Maitra 75). Qasr Al Hosn should be maintained for the future since its preservation will mean that there will be savings on the costs of construction by use of Qasr Al Hosn instead of a new building. Qasr Al Hosn remains to be structurally good even though it was built long ago. When the authorities of United Arab Emirate save on buildings, they also save on the environment. This is because construction of a new building will need the use of construction materials like lumber, which affect the environment. Furthermore, even the usage of cement can has an influence on the environment. Thus, Qasr AL Hosn should be preserved and maintained for the future (Al-Awadhi para. 13). The preservation of Qasr Al Hosn palace adds value to the lives of all the people of United Arab Emirate and foreigners. United Arab Emirate’s historical properties include an invaluable cultural resource (Beech, 2005). The Qasr Al Hosn provides an opportunity for appreciation of the legacy of United Arab Emirate’s rich past. Qasr Al Hosn has an important economic component, Qasr Al Hosn preservation activities created jobs. Preservation efforts benefit the people in the neighborhood of Qasr Al Hosn especially through tourism as many foreigners visit the palace during the Qasr Al Hosn festival. Effective preservation of Qasr Al Hosn does not only promote appreciation of the past, but it is also a chief feature of the successful economic development and community planning of the people of Abu Dhabi (Maitra 80). The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority began a restoration project because of the discovery of the corrosive nature of condensation that was trapped between the original coral stone and the gypsum cement layers. A skilled team of conservators, historians and architects has been conveyed to carefully expose the original sea stone and coral stone, this has been done by the implementation of international restoration principles, and this is to allow the initial fabric of the wall to breathe again. The air conditioning which was installed to Qasr Al Hosn in the 1980s could also be a contributor by cooling the palace to 24 degree Celsius, the mixture of the high external temperatures and the internal cooling caused trapping of condensation within the walls of the palace on the coral stone’s surface (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 11). Initial archaeological research were carried out first so as to understand the construction patterns of the palace, this was to aid the restoration process and hence enable the conservation of the fort to be of the highest standards possible. The architects and historians were working on coming up with a traditional and original system of air conditioning. This form of air conditioning is an intelligent method of natural ventilation whereby sea breezes were being circulated through the rooms of the palace by means of a network of airways, which were directed by arches built in the exterior walls of the palace. These ensured Qasr Al Hosn had a very good and effective preservation implementation strategy (Maitra 102). Architects and historians faced a number of challenges in the restoration efforts; the biggest challenge was ensuring that no serious damage was done to the initial stonework especially to the stonework of the first watchtower. An electronic monitoring gadget that alerts the restoration team immediately instantly noted any movement in the palace that could be a cause of alarm to the palace’s structural stability. The process of removal was carefully undertaken, this was simply because there were quite many layers of gypsum-cement coating to deal with and because a layer of cement was added on the coral stone surface, and this was followed by a coat of gypsum (scratch) and a final layer of gypsum (Finishing). The government of Abu Dhabi came up with the Qasr Al Hosn festival; this is an annual festival that usually takes place in the Qasr Al Hosn grounds (Almazroui para. 17). The main reason of the event was to support appreciation of the identity and heritage of the Emirati, and to involve locals and foreigners in the restoration and preservation of the Qasr Al Hosn palace. The event is made up of varied cultural and historical exhibitions, a theatrical show, workshops activities and demonstrations. Foreigners and locals of the United Arab Emirate experience both the intangible and tangible heritage of the Emirate through a number of activities in the Qasr Al Hosn festival. This presents the Palace in historical context, putting it in the cultural life and map of Abu Dhabi (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 12). The Qasr Al Hosn event also featured performances, live demonstrations, storytelling, historical footage and images. Visitors of the Qasr Al Hosn festival took a journey to the marine, desert and oasis life of the past and the Abu Dhabi islands. The rich historical experience showcased traditional performances and crafts with workshops and traditional restaurants and souks for the visiting people to enjoy. There were also Qasr Al Hosn forums that took place for three days during the Qasr Al Hosn festival. There was a talk show that was hosted by the Sheika Salama Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, this show was hosted in both Arabic and English by a number of experts and it covered the many important issues that surrounded Qasr Al Hosn, its people and the United Arab Emirate (Maitra 108). The Qasr Al Hosn has a traditional heritage that is rich; preservation of this heritage is indivisibly associated with a confident national identity and the establishment of a stable and secure society that is at ease with its place in the world today. The Unite Arab Emirate government is firm on ensuring that economic growth results in the wider dissemination and conservation instead of depletion of the cultural heritage of the country, which should be protected not only because of its local significance but also because Qasr Al Hosn contributes to global heritage. Qasr Al Hosn preservation acts as a solid foundation for an outward-looking society, and was included in the 2008/2010 strategic framework that was unveiled by the Ministry of Culture, Community Development and Youth. A newly articulated agenda, Policy Agenda 2007/2008 formulated that without necessary interventions, Qasr Al Hosn and other cultural resources were threatened with dilution by rapid demographic and urban development (UAE interact para. 7). One of the ways by which the intervention was orchestrated was through the establishment of organizations such as the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage; this is an independent culture management organization, which aims at promoting, preserving and regulating the rich intangible and tangible cultural heritage of Qasr Al Hosn. Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage has the responsibility for the management of the Emirate’s cultural heritage sector, including its rich resources such as Qasr Al Hosn (Hellyer and Ziolkowski 12). The Dubai strategic plan also illustrates measures that will create increased awareness of the local culture of Qasr Al Hosn and strengthen the sense of belonging for the locals. Several organizations in the United Arab Emirate have been entrusted with the role of preserving the country’s heritage to the younger generations that would be unfamiliar with the Qasr Al Hosn. One of these organizations is the Emirate heritage Club, and that oversees a number of activities. As part of the Government’s conservation of architectural plans, the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, heads renovations in the Qasr Al Hosn palace. Qasr Al Hosn palace is considered as a cultural asset of the United Arab Emirate and hence should be preserved so as to provide a the future generation with a touchstone and act as an image of the world of yesterday (Maitra 202). The commitment by the Government of the United Arab Emirate to keep the rich heritage and culture benefits the society of the United Arab Emirate in various ways, it allows for its definition as a cultural destination. This is more evident in the development of Qasr Al Hosn as a cornerstone of United Arab Emirates’ plans and to develop the tourism potential of Emirate, with cultural tourism being the force that is driving the project. Qasr Al Hosn has developed to be a major tourism destination for the United Arab Destination and has greatly contributed to the economy of Abu Dhabi (Al-Awadhi para. 16). The result from preservation of Qasr Al Hosn found out that the government of the United Arab Emirate has tremendously contributed to the preservation of Qasr Al Hosn to enable the future generations to gain knowledge of the historical monument. It is also realized that Qasr Al Hosn has led to patriotism among the locals of Abu Dhabi because they view it as being the source of the development of the city. The gains resulting from of its preservation signifies the importance of preserving cultural monuments for the future generation to learn from them. Limitation to the preservation of cultural monument is the lack of adequate knowledge among people on the economic benefits of preservation of these factors and the failure of most preserving societies to include locals in the preservation process. Works Cited Al-Awadhi, Abdullah. “Qasr Al Hosn: An inspiring National Heritage.” The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, 2013, march 13. Accessed 7 December 2014 Hellyer, Peter. and Ziolkowski, Michele. “Emirates Proceedings of the 1st Annual Symposium on Recent Palaeontological and Archaeological Discoveries in the Emirates Al Ain, 2003.” United Arab Emirate: Zayed Centre for Heritage and History, 2005. Accessed 7 December 2014 Maitra, Jayanti. Qasr Al Hosn: The History of the Rulers of Abu Dhabi, 1793-1966. Abu Dhabi, UAE: Centre for Documentation and Research, 2001. Print. UAE Interact. United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2007: Infrastructure. 2007. Accessed 7 December 2014 Read More